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School IT teacher, 40, is jailed for six years after he hacked into his pupils' mobile phones to steal naked selfies from teenage girls and store them on his computer
A school IT teacher was jailed for six years today after hacking his pupils' phones to steal naked selfies of teenage girls and storing them on his computer.
High school technology expert Richard Edmunds, 40, told pupils he could fix their broken devices but took their private nude picture when he took their phones home.
Edmunds targeted a string of girls while working at a high school in Cardiff to gain iCloud passwords to download more than 1,700 images onto his home computer.
A court heard he also groomed school girls telling them they could make money by sending him naked selfies that would be published on modelling websites.
He was arrested after one former pupil made an anonymous call to Childline and officers searched his home.
Prosecutor John Ryan said: 'He would assist them with technology problems with computers or mobile phones. He would take them home, download their devices searching for indecent images of these girls and storing them on his computer.
'Others were incited to send pictures of themselves to him and indecent images were later found.'
Mr Ryan said Edmunds repeatedly asked one sixth form student to send him naked pictures that they could sell online.
Newport Crown Court heard Edmunds would continue to ask the girl for pictures even when he knew she was suffering from depression and feeling suicidal.
Mr Ryan said: 'He made out that she owed him something for the emotional support he had given her and he persisted to ask for images saying he needed photos of her to get money.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55187406.amp